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Minnesota Vikings

We’re through a fourth of the NFL season, and 3 undefeated teams remain: the Eagles, Vikings and Broncos. These are three teams who’s defenses have been smothering, and who are starting different quarterbacks then they ended their season’s with last year.

Through four weeks, I have a 34- 30 record picking games. Here are my thoughts on week 5.

Bye Week: New Orleans, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Kansas City

Thursday Night Football

Cardinals @ 49ers: Arizona has gotten off to an p-and-down start to the season, and it continued Sunday against LA. The Cardinals out-gained the Rams 420-288 yards, but committed five turnovers, including fourth quarter interceptions by backup Drew Stanton after Carson Palmer left with a possible concussion. They find themselves with a 1-3 record, and tied with their week 5 opponents at the bottom of the NFC West. San Francisco got off a great start in week 4, putting up 14 points quickly on the Dallas Cowboys, but struggled the rest of the game. So who can get back on track this week and pull themselves out of the cellar? I’m taking the birds, even with them having to start Stanton under center Thursday. ARIZONA WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Texans @ Vikings: Houston is the only team in the AFC South with a winning record, and other than a 27-0 drubbing in week 3, have looked pretty good. They got their first win without JJ Watt, thanks to breakout performance from Will Fuller, the first player in franchise history to have a TD reception and a punt return for a score in the same game Minnesota’s defense is really, really good and the biggest reason they remain undefeated. Sam Bradford has been pretty good in purple and they’re succeeding without Adrian Peterson. They’ll lose soon, but it won’t be in week 5. MINNESOTA WINS

Bears @ Colts: Chicago picked up their first win of the season this weekend, snapping a six-game losing streak. Brian Hoyer was great in his second start for injured starter Jay Cutler, finishing 28-36 for 302 yards and two touchdowns. The run game got going as well, while the defense picked off Matt Stafford twice in a three-point win. Indianapolis has to rebound from a loss, in London, to the Jaguars. Andrew Luck continues to be a no-show in the first half of games, as he threw all three of his touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The Colts offense was plagued with dropped balls and a costly Luck interception that led to Jacksonville’s first touchdown. And their defense didn’t help, drawing costly penalties to extend a number of Jacksonville’s drives. I want to pick the Colts, who can still rebound from this slow start, but if the Bears can get another game on the ground like they did last week, they’ll get a second straight win. CHICAGO WINS

Jets @ Steelers: Two bad weeks in a row for the Jets have them at 1-3 heading into a game with a Steelers team coming off a drubbing of the Chiefs. The same Chiefs who had a field day on defense two weeks ago against New York. Pittsburgh got Le’Veon Bell back, and it looked like he hadn’t missed any time. It was another bad week for Ryan Fitpatrick and the New York offense. The Jets defense let a supposedly hobbled Russell Wilson off the hook, and while they are capable of stopping good teams, I like the home team in this one. PITTSBURGH WINS

Titans @ Dolphins: Miami continues to struggle, and you have to ask when changes will be made. They spent all this money last off-season on the defense, yet they’re bottom five there, with an 0-4 record. Sure they played Cincinnati a week ago, but they’ve been pretty bad on both sides of the ball all year. AJ Green nearly had more receiving yards (173) than Ryan Tannehill did passing (189). Meanwhile, the Titans haven’t been much better in year two of Marcus Mariota. They’re middle of the pack on both sides of the ball. This is a good game for both to get things going and get some confidence, so who gets the win? Tennessee has been in every game this season, so I’ll take them to get the road victory this week. TENNESSEE WINS

Eagles @ Lions: Philadelphia is alone atop the NFC East, thanks to a great start from rookie Carson Wentz, and a very good defense. Detroit has lost its last three games after barely holding on to a week 1 win in Indianapolis. Matt Stafford hasn’t been crisp, and they’re not getting much out of the running game. The Lions have been in every game, win or lose, while the Eagles have had an easy time of it early. They’ll be well rested coming off their bye week and it will show in another victory. PHILADELPHIA WINS

Patriots @ Browns: New England gets Tom Brady back from suspension after suffering a rare loss at home, a very rare shutout loss, and their first of the season. That being said, the Pats are in a good place at 3-1 as they welcome back their starter. Cleveland remains the lone win-less team in the league, despite being right there at the end the of each game the past two weeks. Brady missing 4-games at his age could mean great things for New England, meaning he’ll be fresh, or it’ll mean he’s a bit rusty this week. Or both. Cleveland has looked better on offense the past two weeks, particularly on the ground. But they couldn’t stop the Skins in the red-zone, where Brady thrives. It’ll be close, but I’ll take the road team here. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Redskins @ Ravens: Washington comes in winners of two straight; Baltimore; off their first loss of the season. The Skins were great in the red-zone of the second week in a row, and Kirk Cousins continues to be very accurate. The Ravens lost a one point game to Oakland at home where they both out-gained and held the ball longer. A successful two-point conversion on a fourth quarter touchdown for Baltimore was immediately followed by a foolish taunting penalty, and then a game winning drive from Derek Carr. Can Washington make it three-straight wins, or will the Ravens pick up their fourth win of the season? It’ll come down to red-zone defense and the run game. We know both of these quarterbacks in Cousins and Joe Flacco can air it out. I like the Ravens run game, and trust their defense at home more. BALTIMORE WINS

Sunday 4PM/425PM Games

Falcons @ Broncos: This is a match-up of two of the hottest teams in the NFL. Atlanta is on a three-game winning streak, scoring at least 45 in the last two. They’re the only team above .500 in the NFC South and coming off a game where Matt Ryan threw for over 500 yards against the Panthers. Denver meanwhile, hasn’t lost since a week 15 road loss last year to the Steelers; and their last home loss came in week 10 last year to the Chiefs. The Broncos defense hasn’t allowed more than 20 points in a game this season, so this will be a test of an extremely hot defense, versus an extremely hot offense. Which wins out? I’m going with the old adage that defense wins championships; the reigning champs will remain undefeated. DENVER WINS

Bengals @ Cowboys: Dallas hasn’t lost since week 1, and even that should have probably been a win. They’re getting huge production from their rookies with no sign of slowing down. The Bengals got back on track and evened their record up in week 4 against the Dolphins. Both teams have defenses capable of making the stops down the stretch when necessary, but with no Dez Bryant, the Bengals have the biggest play threat on the field in A.J. Green, and that’s why I like them to snap the Cowboys win streak. CINCINNATI WINS

Chargers @ Raiders: San Diego’s problem this season hasn’t been scoring, it has been their inability to finish games this season, losing by less than a score each time. Oakland is starting to figure things out on offense, winners of two straight including handing the Ravens their first loss of the season. The Raiders defense is actually allowing the most yards per game, and the 11th most points per game, so there’s work to do there. They’re going to beat the Chargers this weekend, on the strength of their offense. OAKLAND WINS

Bills @ Rams: In week 4, the Bills did something most teams in the Belichick era, shut out the Pats in New England. The deefnse, as well as LeSean McCoy had big gmaes for Buffalo. The LA Rams are playing up to their competition this season, and finishing the job. They took advantage of the Cardinals losing Carson Palmer last week, and find themselves 3-1. Considering they havent had a winnning season 2003, this is a huge thing in itself. Their offense is inconsistent, which is where Buffalo will take advantage.BUFFALO WINS

Sunday Night Football

Giants @ Packers: After starting the season 2-0, the Giants have sputtered in all areas of the game the past two weeks. They’ve allowed big play after big play on defense, while not getting any of their own on offense. Turnovers on special teams and offense aren’t being nullified with forcing opponents to do the same. Green Bay hasn’t been as sharp as they’ve been in the past, but will be rested after their bye week. The Giants have won the last three match-ups in this series, but I’m taking Aaron Rogers in this one.GREEN BAY WINS

Monday Night Football

Buccaneers @ Panthers: Carolina should be worried. They looked lost against Atlanta this past week, never having an answer on how to cover Julio Jones, a guy you should always game plan for as a top priority. Tampa Bay is in the bottom third scoring wise in the league, despite putting 30-plus points on the board in two of their first four games. Their defense has allowed at least 24 in each game as well. So this is a good game for the Panthers to figure some stuff out on both sides of the ball before they fall any further in the standings. CAROLINA WINS

5 undefeated teams remain as we head into week 4 of the NFL season. I went 9-7 a week ago, bringing my season total to 26-22.

Bye Week: Philadelphia and Green Bay

Thursday Night Football

Dolphins @ Bengals: Miami barely squeaked by the Browns last week, while the Bengals were beat down by the defending champs at home. The Dolphins got a big day from Jarvis Landry, but inconsistency continues to plague Ryan Tannehill, who threw a pick six in the win. Cincinnati got their running game going, but still lost to 1-2 for the first time in five years. After two very good weeks, Andy Dalton couldn’t do much against the Broncos defense. I like the Bengals at home with another good rushing game to get their second win of the season. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday Morning Football

Colts @ Jaguars: London here they come! Indianapolis got their first win of the season last week, while Jacksonville is still looking for theirs. Andrew Luck has the uncanny ability to turn a bad day into a big day passing the ball, but the Jaguars defense isn’t the problem so far, so he’ll need help. Blake Bortles on the other hand, has been pretty awful for Jacksonville in his third year under center. So what happens this weekend across the pond? Give me a cleaner day from Luck to lift the Colts. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Bills @ Patriots: Three different quarterbacks have started for New England, but that hasn’t stopped the winning. And as for the Bills, they got their first win over a team many think, myself included, are a playoff team destined for a deep run. Both teams got big two-touchdown games out of their number 1 running backs, so look for another day of running the clock. The Patriots have to get through one more week without Tom Brady, and while they’ve done a great job doing so, and are very, very good at home, I’m taking the road team in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Titans @ Texans: It was a very bad week for Houston, who not only lost their Thursday game versus New England 27-0, they learned that JJ Watt re-injured his back and will be out the rest of the year. Tennessee’s week wasn’t much better, as they scored just 10 points in their loss to Oakland. Both teams enter action having scored the same amount of points through 3 games, but of course that’s skewed with the Texans O-fer last weekend. Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler have both thrown 4 interceptions so far this season, so whoever can limit mistakes has the edge. A Titans win puts them in a tie for the division early. But I don’t think they get it, because I like the Texans skill position players better. HOUSTON WINS

Lions @ Bears: The Lions are 1-2, but haven’t struggled in the passing game, as Matthew Stafford has found a new weapon in Marvin Jones after Calvin Johnson called it a career in the off-season. The silver lining there for the 0-3 Bears is that their defense has actually done okay against the pass so far this season. Chicago got a pretty good game out of Brandon Hoyer, who finished 30-49 for 317 yards, though most of that came with the game out of hand already. Both teams have the ability to get the points in the air, and with two middling defenses, that shouldn’t be a problem. So this game will be won in the trenches, and the edge there lies with the Lions. DETROIT WINS

Panthers @ Falcons: Carolina is another team I thought would have a great season, but has disappointed so far. Thanks to the struggles of the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South, Atlanta finds themself atop the division early on in the season. This dispite allowing 31, 28 and 32 points in their first three games. The Falcons may not be getting sustained success in their ground game early, they are getting it when it counts. Tevin Coleman has just 110 yards on the ground, but has 4 rushing touchdowns, including 3 on Sunday in New Orleans. Carolina entered action red-hot at home dating back to 2014, but we shut down by a red-hot Vikings defense a week ago. I still believe in the Panthers defense, and as hot as Atlanta has been, I think Carolina gets the win on the road.CAROLINA WINS

Seahawks @ Jets: The good news for Jets fans? Ryan Fitzpatrick can only be better than he was a week ago. The bad news? He has to be a lot better against the top defense in the league. After scoring just 3 points against L.A. in week 2, the Seahawks exercised some demons putting up 37 against the Niners. Russell Wilson was hobbled in the game, but still managed to leave with a nice lead. Big games from Christine Michael and Doug Baldwin helped get the offense back on track. New York can solace in the fact that they have had a pretty good run game all season, and while some of it came in garbage time, Seattle did allow the Niners to get over 130 yards on the ground, finding pay dirt twice. This shouldnt be as ugly for the Jets as it was last week, but it will still be a loss. SEATTLE WINS

Raiders @ Ravens: Baltimore finds itself among the undefeated teams heading into week 4, in large part thanks to their defense and a good day from kicker Justin Tucker. The Ravens are second in total defense through 3 weeks of play. Their opponents won their 2nd game by forcing three turnovers, with a sack after entering week 3 having allowed the Saints and Falcons to walk all over them. So based on defenses, Baltimore should have an easy win. But I actually like Oakland’s offense a lot more, and as someone who thinks this is a playoff team, I’ll take the Raiders in the upset. OAKLAND WINS

Browns @ Redskins: Cleveland should’ve gotten their first win of the season in Miami a week ago, but an inability to stop the air attack, and three missed field goals left them at 0-3. They gave themselves a shot, but couldn’t take it. Cody Kessler’s first career start wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good for Cleveland, though at this point, coming out healthy is huge for the Browns. Washington did get their first win, taking down the Giants on the road. After a couple lackluster offensive weeks, Kirk Cousins let it loose and got a number of big plays in the passing game to help get that first win and move back in the right direction to defend their NFC East title. So can the Browns get their first win this week? Yes. Will they? I don’t think so. They stayed in last week thanks to mistakes by Tannehill, but Cousins won’t make those same mistakes. WASHINGTON WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Broncos @ Buccaneers: The Superbowl Champs are showing no signs of slowing down as they look to start the season 4-0. Denver got off to a slow start last week against the Bengals, but came on strong late thanks to a big day from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian threw four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter for the win. Not to be outdone, the Broncos are a top flight defense that held down Andy Dalton and their rushing attack. They’ve got another tough test when they take on Jameis Winston this weekend. The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes so far with 8, though he has thrown six picks to. It won’t be a blowout, none of Denver’s games really have been, but it will be another win for the Broncos. DENVER WINS

Rams @ Cardinals: I’m shocked at the start the Cardinals are having at just 1-2. Carson Palmer has had a bad TD-turnover ratio through 3 weeks. Arizona isn’t getting quite out of David Johnson on the ground, while their defense is allowing the 5th most rushing yards per game. This is as good a week as any to get back to what they want to do in all phases as they take on their division rival Rams, who find themselves tied atop the division at 2-1. Los Angeles has rebounded nicely from a shutout on opening day, winning their last two games. The Rams tend to play up or down to their opponents, evident by a 9-3 home win over Seattle and a 37-32 shootout on the road in Tampa Bay. Going off those results, I’ll take the Cardinals at home in what should be a close game throughout between these two West foes. ARIZONA WINS

Cowboys @ Niners: Dallas couldn’t have asked for more from rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot through three weeks. The Tony Romo-less Cowboys were a game-winning field-goal away from being 3-0 right now. Dez Bryant has a hairline fracture in his knee but is still expected to play this weekend. San Francisco was manhandled in week 3, and still isn’t making a change back to Colin Kaepernick. The biggest thing the Niners have going for them is Carlos Hyde has looked pretty good. I like what the Caowboys have done this season, but I have a feeling about San Fran this week. It might be a bad feeling, but I’m rolling with it.SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Saints @ Chargers: It’s still early, but the Saints need to start picking up some wins quickly if they want to make the playoffs as I predicted they would as a wildcard team in the NFC. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Drew Brees is already over a 1,000 yards passing, with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio, though that one interception last week was a fourth quarter pick six for Brees. New Orleans defense hasn’t been been able to stop anyone, as they’ve allowed the 2nd most total yards. Worst at stopping the run, that’s where the Chargers will need to take advantage this week. But without Danny Woodhead, San Diego needs Melvin Gordon to get going, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I like Philip Rivers, but I like Drew Brees more. Give me the road team to get win number 1 this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Chiefs @ Steelers: What a defensive performance put on by the Chiefs this past week! Two defensive touchdowns and six interceptions helped Kansas City get the easy win over the Jets. The offense wasn’t great, but they didn’t need to be with that showing on defense. Alex Smith continued to show his game management skills, and why Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league right now. They’ve got a desperate Steelers team thsi week, who didn’t score a touchdown in a week 3 beatdown by the Eagles. After two very good weeks, DeAngelo Williams was stymied on the ground, so the rushing attack will gladly welcome back Le’Veon Bell from suspension this week. The biggest test for the Kansas City defense will be stopping Antonio Brown, but I don’t think it will matter much even if he does have a big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Monday Night Football

Giants @ Vikings: This should be a battle of two unbeatens, but a late game collapse left the Giants at 2-1 heading into today. Too many penalties, a couple late turnovers and allowing Washington to open up the field multiple times led to the home loss for New York. They lost Shane Vereen to a triceps injury as well. Eli Manning and company need to do more in the passing game, and they have the capability with three wide receivers. The bad news for New York is that the Vikings are running on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been relentless through three weeks, and despite losing starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before the season started, the offense has been very good. Sam Bradford has come in and fit in better in two weeks then he’s done in the first few seasons of his career. It’s going to be tough for the Giants on the road, but I like New York will figure things out and get back in the win column. NEW YORK WINS

We’ve reached week 3 of the season, and still have 8 undefeated and 8 winless teams. There have also been a lot of big injuries early that will have a big impact on week 3 and beyond. As for my picks, I’m 18-14 through 2 weeks. Here’s what I’m thinking going into week 3.

Thursday Night Football

Texans @ Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo left with a shoulder injury for New England, who still managed to move to 2-0. This was thanks in large part to Garoppolo’s 3 touchdown passes before his injury as well as a big performance from LeGarrett Blount in the run game. The Texans took down the Chiefs on the strength of their defense to move to 1-1, a stark difference from their 33-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Without Garoppolo, I think the Texans will do enough to get another win to start off the week 3 action. HOUSTON WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Ravens @ Jaguars: Baltimore got very lucky in week 2, as they overcame a 20-0 1st quarter deficit to improve to 2-0. Cleveland never scored again, while Joe Flacco brought his team back with a 25-45, 302 yard performance. Their opponents have been disappointing to me so far. While I didn’t think the Jaguars were going to make the playoffs this season, I thought they’d be better than they’ve shown, starting 0-2 again after They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers. BALTIMORE WINS

Lions @ Packers: Both teams enter 1-1 after losing in week 2, and are looking to keep pace with the 2-0 Vikings. The Packers lost their game in the 4th quarter, turning the ball over twice, while allowing Rodgers to be sacked 5 times. Detroit also lost their game in the 4th quarter when they were outscored 13-0 by the Titans, including a 93-yard game winning drive. The Lions didn’t have a go to back in week 2, losing Ameer Abdullah to an injury. So who gets back in the win column this week? I’ll take the Packers at home with a much-needed big day from Eddie Lacy. GREEN BAY WINS

Redskins @ Giants: Washington won the NFC East a year ago, but have opened up this season 0-2. Struggles in the red zone and an inability to force turnovers meant a loss in a back-and-forth affair with Dallas last week. New York’s offense moved up and down the field pretty easily on Sunday, but also struggled in the redzone, and had too many turnovers in the 1st half. But the defense and special teams stepped up and they moved to 2-0. So who takes this division matchup? Give me the home team to get over their redzone struggles and take advantage of Eli Manning’s league leading completion percentage, which should be even better as the Giants receiving core dropped at least 5 balls in week 2. NEW YORK WINS

Browns @ Dolphins: For the 5th week in a row (dating back to last season), Cleveland will be starting a different QB. Someone should tell them this isn’t baseball, there’s no starting rotation in football. Even with the QB carousel, the Browns almost, and should have, pulled out their first win in week 2. They were up 20-2 on the Ravens, thanks in big part to their ground attack, but fell late. Miami isn’t in any better a position than their week 3 opponents, as they enter action at 0-2 as well. The Dolphins were down big early to the Pats, but made a comeback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury. Cleveland will be in this game until the end because Miami has had issues stopping the run early. But even of Isaiah Crowell goes big on the ground, I still think they pull out the win at home. MIAMI WINS

Vikings @ Panthers: Minnesota will now be without their starting QB and running back for the rest of the season after Adrian Peterson went down in their game on Sunday night. The Vikings defense looked stong against Aaron Rogers in week 2. As for Carolina, they rebounded offensively in week 2, but they still struggled a bit on defense, allowing the Niners to score 27. They’ll be without their running back Jonathan Stewart, but were picked up by Fozzy Whittaker on the ground. Despite the 27 points allowed, I like the Panthers chances of stopping Sam Bradford and the new Vikings weapon and league receiving yards leader Stefon Diggs. CAROLINA WINS

Broncos @ Bengals: Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start this season, leading the league with 732 passing yards, so here’s a good test for the Broncos league leading defense. CJ Anderson is having a good start to the season, and we’ve seen the Bengals give up the most rushing yards per game to start the season, so he should be able to help eat a lot of clock for Denver. DENVER WINS

Cardinals @ Bills: Arizona rebounded from a tough week 1 loss by handily beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals led the league in total offense, while the Bills dropped to 0-2 despite putting up 31 points of their own in week 2. Buffalo has let their offensive coordinator go, so they really need this game. Too bad I don’t think they’ll get it. Look for a big game from running back Daniel Johnson. ARIZONA WINS

Raiders @ Titans: Oakland has not been able to stop anyone through two weeks, something I wasn’t expecting, allowing 70 points so far. Tennessee has actually done a very nice job on defense. Both teams are 1-1 heading into this game, but I still like the Raiders better. The Titans offense hasn’t shown the big play ability the Raiders have, so Oakland should be able to hold them down better than they did with New Orleans and Atlanta. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Rams @ Buccaneers: LA’s defense showed up in week 2, Tampa’s did not. The difference between these two teams is the offense. While the Bucs went from scoring 4 TDs to 1, I feel more confident about their offense than the Rams, who have scored just 9 points in two games. The best chance the Rams have is if their defense can do what it did a week ago, and good game out of Todd Gurley. That being said, I’ll take the home team in this one. TAMPA BAY WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: This is a big (albeit early) NFC West battle between two 1-1 teams. San Francisco followed up a surprise week 1 win with a defensive breakdown against Carolina. Seattle had one of their worst offensive games in this recent stretch of Superbowl quality teams, scoring just a field goal against the L.A. Rams. I can’t see the Seahawks being held down again, especially by the Niners. Russell Wilson should be able to dominate in this one. SEATTLE WINS

Steelers @ Eagles: I never thought this would be a game where both teams have a chance to move to 3-0, but here we are. DeAngelo Williams has been huge for Pittsbrgh in the abscense of Le’Veon Bell, who is out one more week due to suspension. Philadelphia has gotten about as good as you can ever hope to from a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz, who hasn’t turned the ball over yet. It should be a good game, but I will go with the experience in this one.PITTSBURGH WINS

Jets @ Chiefs: Two teams I picked to make the playoffs in the AFC face off in Kansas City this weekend. New York picked up their first win last week, thanks to the offense. Off-season acquisition Matt Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both finished with 100 receiving yards as well. The Jets defense wasn’t as impressive as it was week 1. The Chiefs hope that’s the case again this week, as they couldn’t get much of anything started against Houston. A lot went right for New York last week, and I can’t see them doing quite that well against Kansas City’s defense as they did against Buffalo. If this were a home game for the Jets I might choose differently, but it’s a home game for the Chiefs, so I’ll go with them this week. KANSAS CITY WINS

Chargers @ Colts: San Diego is 2-0, Indianapolis is 0-2. I really thought that the Colts would be able to do better than they have on defense, but they haven’t. San Diego has looked very good on offense to start this season, Indy has been very up and down. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Bears @ Cowboys: Chicago is 0-2 despite holding early leads in both week 1 and week 2. And now they’ll be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a thumb injury. Their best hope to beat the Cowboys is to continue limiting the passing game, as the Bears rank 4th in the NFL allowing 224 yards a game. As for Dallas, they picked up their first win thanks to another clean day from Dak Prescott and a big night on the ground. The Boys were already a better team than the Bears before the Cutler injury, so give me Dallas at home to move to 2-1. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Falcons @ Saints: Atlanta picked up their first win against an impressive Raiders team in week 2, while New Orleans dropped to 0-2 after a game winning field goal by the Giants. Atlanta hasn’t had any problems scoring this season, but their defense has struggled at times. New Orleans’ defense was much better in week 2, forcing 3 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. I picked the Saints to make the playoffs, so this is a huge game for them. If they want to get their first win, they have to figure out how to run the ball. The Falcons tend to be very inconsistent, so give me New Orleans at home in a shootout. NEW ORLEANS WINS

It was an interesting week 17 that saw teams like the New York Jets lose their spot in the playoffs, the Patriots lose their number 1 seed and Peyton Manning’s return to claim that spot in the AFC. And it wasn’t any less dramatic over in the NFC, where the Vikings held off a late charge from the Packers on the road to claim the North, while the Seahawks made a huge statement on the road against Arizona.

And in case you missed it, the top 20 in the NFL Draft looks like this:

Tennessee (picked 2nd last season)

Cleveland

San Diego

Dallas (won the NFC East a year ago)

Jacksonville

Baltimore (1st losing season since 2007)

San Francisco

Miami

Tampa

NY Giants

Chicago (finished 4th in the NFC North for a second straight season)

New Orleans

Philadelphia

Oakland (most wins since 2011)

St. Louis

Detroit (was a wild card team a season ago)

Atlanta

Indianapolis (finished 11-5 prior 3 seasons)

Buffalo

NY Jets (only 10 win team not in the playoffs)

But now the regular season is over. And the fun is just getting started. 12 teams are left vying for the Lombardi Trophy and it all starts Saturday as Wildcard weekend kicks off with the AFC.

NFC Byes: Carolina (1) and Arizona (2)

AFC Byes: Denver (1) and New England (2)

AFC Wildcard game 1 – Saturday

Chiefs (5) @ Texans (4): The hottest team in the league heading into the playoffs are the Kansas City Chiefs. 10-straight wins after starting 1-5, and they allowed just 20+ points once from week four on. Houston won the South thanks to a 6-2 second half and a very good defense. So we’ve got two top 10 defenses kicking off the playoffs. Who comes out on top? I like the Chiefs to keep the winning going. KANSAS CITY WINS

AFC Wildcard game 2 – Saturday

Steelers (6) @ Bengals (3): Pittsburgh has overcome so many injuries this season to make the playoffs, and they enter without another piece after DeAngelo Williams went down in a must win week 17. Cincinnati had a shot all season at a bye week, but the loss of Andy Dalton late in the season, along with a week 16 loss to Denver, has them playing a first round game again. AJ McCaron has looked pretty good in place of Dalton, and while the Steelers are riding a lucky streak, I think it ends this week, whether Dalton is back or not. It’s the year the Bengals make it out of the first round. CINCINNATI WINS

NFC Wildcard game 1 – Sunday

Seahawks (6) @ Vikings (3) : It’s going to be an extremely cold one in Minnesota. This was always going to be a ground-and-pound type of game, but with kick-off possibly at 0 degrees, it rings even truer. Seattle and Minnesota enter as the third and fourth best rushing teams in the league respectfully, so this is going to come down to who can at least make the other defense think pass. Russell Wilson is on fire throwing the football, and with his team knowing how to win in the playoffs, I like them to control time of possession and the air game. SEATTLE WINS

NFC Wildcard game 2 – Sunday

Packers (5) @ Redskins (4): The Packers have backed into the playoffs, while the Redskins are flying high. Kirk Cousins did work at home once named the starter, so this is going to be a tough game for Green Bay. The Packers defense needs to carry the team, and I think they will. While Washington did a decent job keeping opponents off the board during the season, they gave up the fifth most yards per game. It’s the type of defense Aaron Rodgers needs to get their offense going. GREEN BAY WINS

It’s pretty amazing how many teams most thought would be good this season are 0-2.

Most Impressive Teams From Week 2

New England Patriots (2-0)– The Tom Brady revenge tour raged through Buffalo this weekend and put up three touchdowns and 466 yards passing on the Buffalo defense. Rob Gronkowski went over 100 yards, Julian Edelman caught two TDs and nine different Patriots caught passes. The defense let up late, allowing 19 points in the fourth to the Bills to make the final score close, but it really wasn’t.

Arizona Cardinals (2-0) –Carson Palmer is healthy and it means this team is a force to be reckoned with in a division that has the NFC Champs bringing up the rear at 0-2. Palmer was efficient throwing 4 touchdowns on just 185 yards passing. The Cards got help from their defense, and special teams with a team record 108-yard kickoff return. Not to mention that Larry Fitzgerald had one of the best games of his career, catching 3 scores after going nine straight (including the playoffs) without a single one.

Green Bay Packers (2-0) –Make it nine straight regular season home wins for the Packers who got revenge for their NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks. Both defenses played well, but the big play came by Green Bay in the fourth, an interception of Russell Wilson as the Pack went to score 11 to take the lead and the game. The fact that Green Bay could come out on top after losing both Eddie Lacy and Devonte Adams early to injury shows how deep this team is.

Most Disappointing Teams From Week 2

New York Giants (0-2)– The New York Giants are now 0-2… against the New York Giants. They got Odell Beckham Jr and Shane Vereen going, Eli Manning hasn’t thrown a pick and the defense shutdown Matt Ryan for most of the game. But it hasn’t mattered. In both games, they played the 55 minutes of football that should have them 2-0 and atop the NFC East. Instead, they’ve shot themselves in the foot to end two games with poor time management and poor play calling.

Indianapolis Colts (0-2) –For just the second time in his young career, Andrew Luck has lost two straight games. The fourth year QB threw 3 interceptions for the first time in nearly two years, and added a fumble to his bad night. The defense hasn’t been terrible, but they haven’t been able to make up for the bad offense.

Detroit Lions (0-2) – The defense hasn’t been a strengthlike it’s been in the past.Matthew Stafford has been erratic. But the most distressing part has the running game. They managed just 38 yards on the ground against the Vikings a week after surrendering 230 yards in week 1. When Matt Stafford leads you in rushing, that’s a problem. When he has most yards than four other guys combined, that’s a serious problem.

Most Surprising Performances from Week 2

Carolina Panthers (2-0) – I honestly don’t know how they’re doing it. Sure the defense is good, but offensively they haven’t done anything spectacular. Cam Newton looks better than last season, and has gotten it done on the ground, but their actual backs haven’t done much. Their big play threat in Kelvin Benjamin is down for the season, leaving Newton under 200 yards passing. But they’re doing enough and sit tied atop the division.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) – One week after a blowout loss to Cincinnati, they went toe-to-toe offensively with the Ravens and came out on top. David Carr threw for a career high 351 yards, and put a late turnover behind him quickly to throw the game winner with 26 seconds to go. He’s got two big weapons in rookie Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to throw to, something Oakland has been missing for years.

New York Jets (2-0) –I knew they’d be good this season. But I don’t even think they’ve played their best football and here they are at 2-0 coming off a nice win in Indianapolis. Ryan Fitzpatrick has looked great and forged a quick connection with Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. Chris Ivory got banged up in practice but has looked good so far. And the defense after being torched at times in week 1, specifically in the secondary, generated a great pass rush in week 2, and has an incredible 10 takeaways already.

Now we can get to my picks for week 3. I went just 5-11 to bring my season total to 15-17, so clearly I need a rebound.

Thursday Night Football

Redskins @ Giants: Washington’s defense has been one of the biggest surprises this season. New York’s defense is stopping the run, but allowing QBs to have a field day. The Giants offense looked a lot better in week 2, but they beat themselves late again. I should probably stop picking New York, but they handle the Skins well and without their late-game mistakes, I still think they’ve looked like the best team in the division. NEW YORK WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Falcons @ Cowboys: Both teams enter 2-0 but with varying levels of health concerns. Dallas has been hit at QB with Tony Romo’s fractured clavicle, wide receiver with Dez Bryant’s broken foot and Jason Witten’s knee. Atlanta will be without rookie running back Tevin Coleman who injured his rib in their week 2 win. The Cowboys traded for guys to replace their injured stars, including a pick for Matt Cassel, who is a very capable starter. But Matt Ryan has a very healthy and electric Julio Jones paired with Roddy White and I think he’ll be able to out-pass anything the Boys throw out there. ATLANTA WINS

Colts @ Titans: Tennessee went from great to average in a weeks’ time, something to expect with a rookie QB. I’ve already gone over Indy’s problems so I won’t here. But the Jets showed you can do damage to the Colts secondary, so expect Marcus Mariota to throw early and often this week. However, I don’t think it will be enough. Andrew Luck will figure out how to play past his turnovers and explode in week 3 and get win number 1. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Raiders @ Browns: Johnny Manziel was supposed to get another start after picking up his first win a week ago. Not so fast. Josh McCowan will be back after missing week 2 with injury. I don’t like the move, but I guess Cleveland is operating under the “you don’t lose your job because of injury idea.” As for Oakland, no one thought they’d be good this year, and yet they’ve done some good things early on. So who moves to a surprising 2-1? Give me the Raiders in a close one on the road.OAKLAND WINS

Bengals @ Ravens: Andy Dalton is off to one of the best starts of his career, the run game is producing and the defense is doing what it needs to do, holding opponents to 16 points a game. Now they face a hungry 0-2 Ravens team in an AFC North showdown. Baltimore’s defense has allowed that has allowed the seventh most points per game in the first two weeks. I thought Baltimore would be in contention for a playoff spot against this season, and while I know they can win this game and avoid an 0-3 start, I like the Bengals too much right now. CINCINNATI WINS

Jaguars @ Patriots: The Jacksonville Defense has been solid through two weeks of play, but they’re going to need to get to Tom Brady early and often if they want to unseat the champs. Blake Bortles looked better in week 2 than week 1, but he’s still got a lot of work to do. New England is just on another level and at home. They’ll get to 3-0 rather easily. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Saints @ Panthers: Already at 0-2, the Saints are now without Drew Brees. Carolina is seeing a better Cam Newton through two weeks than they saw all of last season. New Orleans defense has been atrocious, the Panthers pretty good. If all holds true, we’ve got another easy win for a soon-to-be 3-0 squad. CAROLINA WINS

Eagles @ Jets: DeMarco Murray has been very, very bad. Sam Bradford has been very bad. The Eagles special teams hasn’t been what it was, nor has the defense. New York has been good in every phase of the game, but it’s been their defense that has stood out above all. NEW YORK WINS

Buccaneers @ Texans: Bryan Hoyer did a better job than Ryan Mallett, but it wasn’t enough. Houston’s running game has been non-existent without Arian Foster. The defense isn’t what they can and have been in the past. Jameis Winston bounced back from a rough NFL debut to show flashes. If the Texans get some help on the ground, I like the Texans at home to pick up their first win. HOUSTON WINS

Chargers @ Vikings: Philip Rivers has been on point this season, completing 81 percent of his passes through two games. But turnovers hurt the Chargers chances at a 2-0 start a week ago. As for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson got back to his old self, racking up nearly 200 total yards to help get his team to 1-1. MINNESOTA WINS

Steelers @ Rams: The Steelers have looked good on offense through two weeks, and that was without Le’Veon Bell. Now with the AFC’s leading rusher from a year ago back, look out. St. Louis’s defense hasn’t been as good as I thought it would be, and the offense has had one great game, and one they’d like to forget about. So give me the more experienced Pittsburgh team on the road. PITTSBURGH WINS

Sunday 4/425 PM Games

49ers @ Cardinals: After a big first week, the Niners looked overwhelmed by the Steelers in week 2, particularly on defense, which is normally a strong suit. And now they have to contend with a hot Cardinals team on the road. Arizona is clicking on all cylinders, picking up where they left off last season with Carson Palmer. They might not give up 48 again, but San Francisco is going to have a tough time stopping the Cardinals. ARIZONA WINS

Bills @ Dolphins: Both of these teams looked great in week 1, and not so great in week 2. Buffalo is waiting for LeSean McCoy to look more like the guy Philadelphia ran out of the backfield last season. The Dolphins shot themselves in the foot with 13 flags for 113 penalty yards including a personal foul that set up the Jags game winning field-goal. The inconsistent showings of the Bills defense through two weeks makes it hard to gauge them. For that I’m taking the home team to improve to 2-1. MIAMI WINS

Bears @ Seahawks: One of these teams will be 0-3 (barring a tie) when the clock hits zero. And it’s easily going to be Chicago. While the Hawks haven’t been as good as they’ve been the past two years, they have been in both games and have played well enough to win. The Bears have looked awful and are now without Jay Cutler, though many are probably okay with that. SEATTLE WINS

Sunday Night Football

Broncos @ Lions: Peyton Manning woke up in week 2 but it was the Chiefs mistakes and Broncos defense that won the game in the end. Detroit is a surprising 0-2, but Matt Stafford always plays better at home than on the road. Denver is lucky to be 2-0, and I think that luck runs out this week. Look for the run game to get going for Detroit. DETROIT WINS

Monday Night Football

Chiefs @ Packers: Kansas City made some poor choices to end week 2. But they have to be happy with what they’ve seen from their skill position guys, now they just have to hope Jamaal Charles holds onto the football. Green Bay overcame injuries to key players in week 2 to get revenge on the Seahawks, thanks in large part to their defense. Both teams have impressed, but give me another home win for Aaron Rodgers and company this week.GREEN BAY WINS

One week closer to the playoffs, and we still don’t have any spots clinched! Which means it’s unofficially the start of the playoffs, and is a testament to parody in the game today, with how even teams are. Of course there are standouts, with two teams in the NFC (Packers, Cardinals) and two teams in the AFC (Patriots, Broncos) who all have 10 wins apiece. Add to that 5 other squads with 9 and 3 others with 8, and we have the makings of a very entertaining final 3 weeks of the regular season.

One of my best weeks picking in week 14, going 13-3 to bring my season total up to 131-76. Take a look at my week 15 predictions, and tell me where I am wrong and why I am right!

But first, answer the polls on who you think finish with the top seed in each conference!

Cardinals @ Rams: St. Louis has a chance to play spoiler, and with the ins they have on their resume this season, they are very capable of doing so. Not only that, with the inconsistency of the 49ers, the Rams have a chance to not finish last in the powerhouse West, which would be huge for a young team. As for Arizona, this is a must win game. A loss and Seahawks win would mean a tie atop the division with a week 16 matchup in Seattle awaiting the. The Cardinals have already lost to the champs, so a loss here and a loss next week could mean no playoffs at all, despite an early season head start that had them looking like a shoo in for a top 2 seed. After a couple rocky games after losing Carson Palmer, the Cardinals got back on track last week, and I think they do secure the win to keep a hold of the West before heading into 12th man territory.ARIZONA WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Steelers @ Falcons: It’s a game of teams in very different divisions. Pittsburgh is in the most competitive division in the league, while Atlanta is in the only division where no team will finish above .500. The Falcon’s offense isn’t the problem, which we saw in the 2nd half on Monday night against the Packers, it’s defense is. The Steelers have shown flashes of dominance on offense, but are pretty balanced and can run you out of the stadium with Le’Veon Bell in the backfield. I think the consistency on both side of the football, and ability to control the time of possession will get the Steelers the crucial road win to keep the AFC North that much more up for grabs in the final 2 weeks of the season. PITTSBURGH WINS

Redskins @ Giants:Washington is terrible, while New York is less so. The Giants snapped their 7-game slide with a dominating performance against Tennessee on the road. The Redskins losing skid grew to 5, despite benching RGIII. While both teams would benefit from losing out at this point, barring a tie, someone has to win, and I think the Giants at home can have another week 14 type performance to pick up their 5th win of the season. NEW YORK WINS

Dolphins @ Patriots: Without a win in New England, the Dolphins are out of the playoff picture. Too many teams already have 8 wins to put the math in their favor. Miami saw a lot of good things from their QB Ryan Tannehill to make them think next year is the year to make a run, but I think they’ve run out of steam. The Patriots at home are always tough, but it’s December and it’s Tom Brady. So give me the home team to get win number 11 and stay in the conversation for a 1st round bye and home-field throughout. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Raiders @ Chiefs: Oakland has two wins… I know I’m shocked too. They upset the 49ers a week ago for that 2nd win, but I don’t see them getting their 3rd win this week. Maybe the Chiefs will finally throw a TD to a wide-receiver this week. I won’t hold my breath. But I do think they will get the win, and I expect another nice day for Jamaal Charles.KANSAS CITY WINS

Texans @ Colts: The AFC South was a two team race from week 1, and it comes down to this game in Indianapolis. A Colts win gives them their 2nd straight division crown. A Texans win keeps the crack in the door open for another week. Andrew Luck wasn’t great in their win over the Browns last week, and face another tough defensive test in the one and only JJ Watt. I love Luck and the Colts as a whole, so give me the home team to lock up their playoff spot this week.INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Bengals @ Browns: It’s officially time for Johnny Football in Cleveland. Brian Hoyer has been benched for this pivotal game for the Browns, who must beat the Bengals to have a shot at the playoffs. It’s been a great season for Cleveland no matter what, but a loss would almost guarantee no postseason. As for the Bengals, they laid an egg a week ago, giving everyone else a shot at overtaking them in the AFC North. But they hold the edge, and seem to follow up bad losses with wins, so I think they overcome the QB controversy on the road. CINCINNATI WINS

Jaguars @ Ravens: Jacksonville has quite the defense to grow with next season. But they are still a young and growing team. Baltimore has been in this position before, in a playoff push. They’ve had some good stretches, that have been halted by bad losses. I think they continue to keep their postseason hopes alive at home. Look for a big game from Joe Flacco. BALTIMORE WINS

Packers @ Bills: Let’s be honest, the Packers are the best team in the NFL right now. Sure they aren’t as dominant on the road as they are at home, but they’re still pretty darn good away from Lambeau. And playing in cold weather of Buffalo will be almost like being home, so I expect good things for Green Bay this week. As I’ve said all season, the Bills have been very impressive, and have kept themselves in the playoff conversation all season. But I think that comes to an end here. Aaron Rodgers is just too good. GREEN BAY WINS

Buccaneers @ Panthers: Cam Newton is OUT after suffering back fractures (similar to Tony Romo) in his car accident earlier in the week. So Derek Anderson gets the start. So that means an easier time for the Bucs, but the Panthers are still better than Tampa, even in a down year for them. They broke out a week ago thanks to a big performance from the usually quiet Jonathan Stewart. So look for the running game to be big and the defense to be brought to life at home. CAROLINA WINS

Sunday 4/4:25PM Games

Jets @ Titans: Neither of these teams want to win this week, let’s be honest. They’re two of the teams in the running for the number 1 draft pick. But someone is going to win, and I think it’s going to be the Jets. The run game has a chance to do damage, and the Titans have no real threats on offense to contest with time of possession battle New York should win. NEW YORK WINS

Broncos @ Chargers: This is a better game than I thought it would be while the Chargers were losing 3 straight including 2 in the division. One of those losses came the Broncos, who were unable to runaway with the AFC West, though it’s just a formality at this point. CJ Anderson is taking the Broncos to another level and it’s made Denver that much more dangerous. A win locks up the division, and you know Peyton Manning and company want that as soon as possible. DENVER WINS

Vikings @ Lions: Calvin Johnson is heating up at the right time, and boy did the Lions need it. They’d been struggling offensively, letting the Packers take control of the division. Minnesota has been up and down all year, but must be commended for playing .500 football without their starting QB and starting running back all season. That being said, I think Detroit keeps their wild card hopes alive with a home victory over their NFC North foes. DETROIT WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: The loser of this match-up is out of the running for the NFC West crown. If the Niners lose, they’d also be in jeopardy of missing out on the playoffs all together. The Legion of Boom is back in full force and after San Francisco was shutdown by the lowly Raiders a week ago, there’s little faith that they can go into Seattle and outscore the defending Superbowl champions.SEATTLE WINS

Sunday Night Football

Cowboys @ Eagles: How big is this game? Well, both teams enter action with identical 9-4 records, with Philly just ahead of Dallas in the NFC East by virtue of their Thanksgiving day beat down of the Cowboys. Philly all but ensures a second straight division crown with a victory, while big D would be in a tough battle for a wild card spot. We know a good team is going to be left out of the NFC playoffs because of the NFC South winner getting a spot with a .500 or lower record. The loser of this game could be that team that is left out if push comes to shove. If Philly can limit the turnovers, I think they take this game at home.PHILADELPHIA WINS

Monday Night Football

Saints @ Bears: I liked both of these teams heading into the season, but both have been huge disappointments. Drew Brees just doesn’t look like the guy of the past few, Jimmy Graham has been shut down, and with no run game, they’ve been very one dimensional. Jay Cutler’s big off-season deal looks like a bigger mistake than I thought it was when it happened. He’s got two of the best receivers in the game, but hasn’t used them efficiently all season. And neither team’s defense is anything to write home about. So who wins? New Orleans still has a shot at the playoffs, which is is just disgusting. The bears haven’t been great at home. So despite the strange showing by the Saints this season, I think they see a chance with Carolina losing Cam Newton, and knowing that the Falcons tend to shoot themselves in the foot, that this division is still very much up for grabs. Expect Brees to play like that this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

The playoff push heats up as action enters week 12, and we’ve got a lot more great games this week.

98-63 after 11 weeks. Here are my next batch of picks. It’s the Panthers and Steelers on their bye this week.

Thursday Night Football

Chiefs @ Raiders: It’s not a good game, but we have an AFC West match-up to start week 12. The Chiefs are feeling pretty good about themselves as they are tied for the division lead with the Broncos. The Raiders are… well… the Raiders. Their march to history continues.KANSAS CITY WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Browns @ Falcons: Atlanta is somehow leading the NFC South despite a 6-game losing streak this season. Cleveland is still in the playoff conversatgion, but hurt themselves with a loss against Houston a week ago. I like what Cleveland does better than Atlanta. THey are more consistent on both sides of the ball. So despite this being a home game for the Falcons, give me the Browns on the road. CLEVELAND WINS

Titans @ Eagles: Philly is coming off an ugly road loss to the Packers, while the Titans are coming off a home loss to the Steelers. Mark Sanchez has been okay filling in for Nick Foles, but needs more from the run game. I think Tennessee is a good remedy for their ills, so give me the home team in this one.PHILADELPHIA WINS

Lions @ Patriots: What a great early match-up. The Pats have rebounded from a slow start to being one of the two, three best teams in the league. The Lions have cooled off a bit after a slow start, specifically on offense. Detroit will need their top rated defense on the road to slow down the Pats, and they very may well do so. But I still like the Pats in a close one at home. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Packers @ Vikings: The Packers are hot… at home. They’ve got a lot of games left on the road and have been a different team away from the Frozen Tundra where they look unbeatable. Minnesota has a good season without Adrian Peterson in the back field, and starting a rookie QB in Teddy Bridgewater for the majority of the season. They’re home so Minnesota won’t go quietly, but I can’t pick against MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers here. GREEN BAY WINS

Jaguars @ Colts: The Jaguars are just looking to the draft and the off-season at this point, while the Colts look to rebound off a blowout loss to the Pats in week 11. Andrew Luck is having a fantastic season, but needs more out of the run game, which was hurt this week when Ahmad Bradshaw was placed on IR. But with seeding to play for, I expect Indianapolis to have a fairly easy time with Jacksonville at home. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Bengals @ Texans: Cincinnati is lucky to still hold a lead, however slim, in the AFC North. But they can’t have any more let downs, even against a pretty good team like they play this week. JJ Watt is keeping Houston in the conversation and with this game being in Texans territory, the Bengals have their work cut out for them, though I do like them to get a big road win. CINCINNATI WINS

Jets @ Bills: It’s a big game for the Bills, but this isn’t even happening when it’s supposed to! Crazy snowfall in Buffalo has forced the game to be moved to Monday… in Detroit! I like the possible playoff team even after the Jets finally picked up a win before their bye. The run game for the Bills finds ways to get the job done even with injuries, and Sammy Watkins has been one of the most impressive rookies in the league. BUFFALO WINS

Buccaneers @ Bears: This is maybe the worst game of the week. Both teams are bad despite many thinking both would challenge for the playoffs. The Bucs don’t do anything well except when they decide to throw the ball in the direction of rookie standout Mike Evans. As for Chicago, they finally snapped a long losing streak last week against the Vikings, but even that one wasn’t super impressive. Alshon Jeffery is questionable for the Bears, but they have better offensive weapons even without him than Tampa Bay, so I think they pick up a 2nd straight victory. CHICAGO WINS

Sunday 4/4:25PM Games

Cardinals @ Seahawks:How big is this game? An Arizona win goes a long way to locking up the NFC West, and makes the Cardinal the first team in the NFL to get to 10 wins. A Seahawks win keeps the door in the division open, and keeps pressure on teams like the 49ers, Cowboys and Packers for a Wild Card spot. Going straight off those reasons, you’d say Seattle needs this game way more than Arizona. But the Seahawks are the defending champs and know what it takes to put a run together. The Cardinals have been around the playoff picture of a few years now, but with a young QB at the helm, this win would do huge things for their confidence. Arizona has been consistently good and don’t have any off-the-field issues clouding things. So I’m taking a chance with the red birds in 12 man territory. ARIZONA WINS

Rams @ Chargers: St Louis has made it tough on most opponents this season, despite having a tough schedule and losing Sam Bradford in the preseason. I mean look at the Rams wins over Seahawks, 49ers and the Broncos last week. As for the Chargers, they finally got a win after a rough stretch. I think they build off that and keep pressure on the top heavy AFC West. SAN DIEGO WINS

Dolphins @ Broncos: This is a huge game with playoff implications. Miami took a big step a week ago with a win over the Bills to break a tie with them, while Denver took a big step back against the Rams. I like what the Dolphins have done all year, but I can’t see Peyton Manning having a second straight bad game, and the Broncos are so much better at home. DENVER WINS

Redskins @ Niners: Like many slow starters, the 49ers have rebounded and fought their way back into the playoff hunt. Washington continues to struggle and have questions about RGIII. So give me the home team to stay on pace in the West. SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Sunday Night Football

Cowboys @ Giants: Every-time questions have surfaced abut Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, the Giants have rebounded and went on long runs. They’d have to win out and hope for a lot of help for that to happen this year, but with many of their remaining games at home, and a softer schedule added to games with the Eagles and this week’s opponent, never say never. But they have to start with a win over the Boys. The defense has to find a way to stop DeMarco Murray, who’s rested after their bye. And Manning needs to look like the guy from the 49ers game that drove down the field like no one was trying to stop them in their opening drive, and not the guy who ended up with 5 interceptions. Something that could help is getting Rashad Jennings going in his second game back. I keep going on faith and I’m taking another big leap taking the G-men here in week 12. NEW YORK WINS

Monday Night Football

Ravens @ Saints: Both teams need this game big-time. Baltimore is playing in the most competitive division in football, with all teams with at least 6 wins through 11 weeks. New Orleans is surprisingly in the worst division, with no teams over .500. and they find themselves behind the Falcons, a team that lost 6 straight at one point this season. So while I think the Ravens are a better overall team, I think Drew Brees and company find a way at home to turn things around. NEW ORLEANS WINS